Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2018: Practice 1 team radio
35 radio messages were recorded during practice 1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2018, across 14 drivers. Lewis HAMILTON had the most, with 5.
These are transcripts of real team radio audio, produced by speech recognition and presented as an archive rather than as edited prose. Radio is clipped and noisy, so wording can be imperfect. Each message is attributed to the driver or their engineer, and the original audio is playable in the archive.
Who was on the radio
- Lewis HAMILTON · Mercedes · 5 messages
- Max VERSTAPPEN · Red Bull · 5 messages
- Kimi RAIKKONEN · Ferrari · 4 messages
- Stoffel VANDOORNE · McLaren · 3 messages
- Valtteri BOTTAS · Mercedes · 3 messages
- Robert KUBICA · Williams · 2 messages
- Daniel RICCIARDO · Red Bull · 2 messages
- Romain GROSJEAN · Haas · 2 messages
- Brendon HARTLEY · Toro Rosso · 2 messages
- Esteban OCON · Force India · 2 messages
- Pierre GASLY · Toro Rosso · 2 messages
- Sergio PEREZ · Force India · 1 message
- Marcus ERICSSON · Sauber · 1 message
- Carlos SAINZ · Renault · 1 message
Every message, in the order it happened
Engineer: And FS2, as you did, give me 240 kph, 6 gear, Sauber behind and installation as you.
Engineer: And FS2, as you did, give me 240 kph, 6 gear, Sauber behind and installation as you...
Engineer: And we are okay to continue, we're okay to continue to come once past.
Engineer: Check her out of turn 7, get the car straight and then do acceleration to top speed.
Engineer: So let's stop in the box. It is very slippery. Just caution. Nice first time into the box, please.
Engineer: This is once past. Once past. You're staying out, normal driving on the inland.
Engineer: And track is clear, you just need to relearn the gears again, because we have to reprogram the car.
Romain GROSJEAN: Gary, the steering wheel feels quite light, nothing to worry about but just stand normal. Yeah, we'll check everything, we'll monitor everything.
Brendon HARTLEY: Yeah, a lot of traffic last sector
Engineer: So I guess the steering still feels light and the balance is still on the nose. Do you want to try anything with the switches and stuff? There's some rear locking, but it's not like the root cause. But yeah, you could go forward a bit.
Romain GROSJEAN: Yeah, it became undriveable to 18. I got a snap over the surface. Let me do a good lap and we'll be okay. Copy that.
Lewis HAMILTON: How
Engineer: are
Lewis HAMILTON: the sectors?
Engineer: Purple sectors 2 and 3
Lewis HAMILTON: We've got time for another slow
Engineer: AFM you have time for another slow lap It's up to you, we do have time
Lewis HAMILTON: Had a
Engineer: lot
Lewis HAMILTON: of derailings on that lap.
Engineer: OK copy, so yeah the pack was probably low.
Engineer: All OK, Marcus?
Marcus ERICSSON: Yeah, OK.
Engineer: OK, box, box. OK, it's front wing damage. Yeah, we can see front wing damage, so box, box.
Engineer: Can we try a double cool down? Double lap cool down? Negative, we won't have time. Copy, something to take into consideration. I think it will work. Ok, copy that. Ok Robert, so we'll take your suggestion. We'll go for a double cool. I don't think we'll get the time lap in, but we can push all the way in.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, I have a lot of rear locking, I like, just from the engine braking.
Engineer: At which point in the braking phase, Bluesmax, is that initial peak or later? No, when I'm coming off the brakes. Understood. We're not entirely sure that it's the engine braking that's causing the issue, could be drivability on par throttle as well, so I'll
Max VERSTAPPEN: keep you posted. I'm pretty sure it's that.
Engineer: How much time do I have in the car? If I have time to jump down and go for a pee, I'll take it. We have a bit more than 10 minutes, so get ready, quick feedback, and then you jump out. OK.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Um, it's definitely also short shifting, it's like a handbrake at the moment, but uh, manoeuvres are coming when I'm off throttle.
Kimi RAIKKONEN: Okay, what happened with the guy, the light goes green, and then our guy is showing by hand that stop, but I just reacted on light, so that needs to be cleared up. We stopped you for traffic, that's why. Yeah, but I didn't have time to stop even, I don't expect that. Either we use the lights or we use no lights on hand.
Engineer: Stop it, K2 off, K2 off.
Engineer: OK, so if the grip feels good it'll be Strat 2.
Engineer: We measure a reasonable tailwind both underneath the hotel and into turn 5. 15 to 20 kph there, that's affecting the rear grip.
Engineer: I'm a stream
Valtteri BOTTAS: eating into 10 of 5, it's unbelievable.
Lewis HAMILTON: I don't
Engineer: know,
Lewis HAMILTON: the track feels really bad or just the car, it's got no grip.
Esteban OCON: A bit too much entry instability let's say, not great
Engineer: grip with this set
Stoffel VANDOORNE: Anything I can do to protect the rear here, because I'm overheating massively.
Engineer: Copy, we'll have a look, stand by. So stop, suggest blue B8, blue B8 to help the rears and only use the left hand side toggle in turn 17.
Max VERSTAPPEN: It's uh still not good by the way.
Engineer: Any improvement? I'll come behind now.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Um no not much. The engine is still doing that same thing so it makes me just drift into the corner.
Engineer: It's
Lewis HAMILTON: quite an unhappy car at the moment.
Engineer: Okay, copy.
Engineer: There is concrete coming up someone will get a puncture from turn 20
Engineer: I have a
Kimi RAIKKONEN: hesitation, in 9, 8 and 9, so can I do something?
Engineer: Coming back to you, a multifunction LPM 13 for the issue that you said.
Engineer: OK Carlos, so the reports that the kerb on exit of turn 20 is breaking up a bit, so please try to avoid that one.
Pierre GASLY: Quite a lot of smoke behind me.
Engineer: From the car? It's coming from the... It's gone.
Pierre GASLY: Came out from the car at the back, but now it's okay. Just in the chicane in second gear.
Engineer: Do
Pierre GASLY: you want me to box?
Engineer: Yes, we box now, box, box. And stop in front of our garage, stop in front of our garage. Just walking, walking again? Yes. OK, Piero, you can jump out. Yeah, you can jump out. Car is safe.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Uh, front right massively giving up now
Engineer: Copy Max, copy
Max VERSTAPPEN: Was that enough smoke?
Engineer: It's not really the launch we'd be after on Sunday though
Lewis HAMILTON: Left side...
Engineer: AFAB, left is good.
Engineer: There's a lot of rubber in the box, so have a good look into the box, there's a lot of rubber in our box.
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